New York Times bows refreshed, tablet-optimized Android app

The official NYTimes app for Android is now optimized for tablets and adapts to fit various screen sizes and resolutions. Available imemdiately, the free app gives users more control on how they learn of breaking news alerts and offers at-a-glance peeks at the latest news. Of course, there is also the requisite bug fixes in the 3.0 release however this one is all about providing a more intuitive reading experience.

[download_link link=”https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nytimes.android&hl=en.” variation=”hotpink” target=”blank”]Download New York Times for Android (Google Play)[/download_link]

NEW YORK, December 11, 2012 – The New York Times (NYTimes.com) today relaunched its Android News app, which delivers the latest news and award-winning journalism of The New York Times, designed and formatted for optimal reading for all tablets and phones running Android.

The app features a refined interface that incorporates native Android styles familiar to users, such as more intuitive, responsive navigation and a compelling design and layout.

Like the previous version of the app, the new Android app features more than 25 sections of New York Times news, information and opinion, including videos, slide shows and blogs. It also features offline reading and a full set of share options for articles, videos and slide shows across social media and e-mail.

The Times is introducing text-to-speech functionality, which can read articles and blogs aloud using Google’s voice engine or another engine of choice.

An exclusive Android commenting feature allows users to view and add comments, as well as speak their comments using Android’s native speech-to-text functionality.

“We are steadfast in our efforts to deliver our esteemed journalism and multimedia to our readers on the platforms they use,” said Denise Warren, senior vice president and chief advertising officer, The New York Times Media Group and general manager, NYTimes.com. “That means we are constantly examining our products and looking for ways to improve their features and functionality. These updates allow readers to navigate, consume and share our wealth of content with ease, providing a seamless mobile user experience across any Android device they choose.”

The NYTimes app is available on Google Play. As with other New York Times news applications, the Top News section of the app is free. To access all sections of the app, a digital subscription is required. Details and pricing for these plans are available at www.NYTimes.com/Access.

About The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading global, multimedia news and information company with 2011 revenues of $2.3 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, NYTimes.com, BostonGlobe.com, Boston.com, About.com and related properties. The Company’s core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news and information.

In addition to smartphones and mobile gadgets, Scott has a deep appreciation for film, music, and sunflower seeds. A husband and father, he likes spending down time riding his mountain bike or binge-watching TV. Scott has overseen the day-to-day activities of AndroidGuys since 2007.

This is a GOOD update for the tablet realm. So is the latest YouTube update for tablets. If these are any indications of where natives apps are headed on the Android platform then the future looks really bright for Android tablets. I didn’t think some of these apps were bad to begin with but I definitely like these re-imagined apps better.